Just over half the dog sled teams are in to Nome this evening, with another 29 teams on the way. The Red Lantern left Eagle Island with Ellen Halverson this afternoon. Current estimates put the end of the race sometime around next Tuesday or Wednesday (3/21).
Following the rear of the race is a team of five Iditarod trail sweepers, volunteers that clean up materials left behind by the mushers and trail breakers alike. We spoke briefly with Will Peterson, our own Director of Development and a long-time trail sweeping volunteer. He noted unimaginably tough trail conditions for the teams and even the sweepers this year; describing his snowmachine ride “…as a cross-between driving a school bus and a mechanical bull…”
Be sure to listen to the attached audio for more race updates and Peterson’s trail and musher encounters, including details about scratched musher Eric Rogers.
Also, check out the trail sweeping photo diary (2005) provided by Peterson. It’s in our photo gallery.
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